ADVENTURE AND ROMANCE.

Shannon News, 13 August 1929, Page 4

ADVENTURE AND ROMANCE.

IN A FLOWER SHOW. Tulips of every imaginable colour, and including one almost black and one practically green—results most, growers are striving to achieve —incomparably better than have been seen previously—were on view at the famous Chelsea Flower Show. Orchids, too—and this is the supreme orchid show — were distinguished. I stumbled almost by accident on a romance of horticulture (says J. Lansdale Hodson in the Daily News). A man took home from, the orchid tent to Tunbridge Wells a tiny flower in a two-inch pot that he had sold during the day for over £350 to a man whose collection is already worth over £20,000. The flower was a new orchid, cerise in colour, named “Miltonlia Armstjrongiij. ” M(r T. Armstrong, who grew it, told me: “It is too precious to leave in the tent. I shall bring it back m the morning..

“Growing orchids is a gamble. This one is three and a-half -years old. 1 am very lucky, inasmuch as t usually they take six ydars to reach this stage. “It is a hybrid, raised in England. Out of this experiment 1000 seeds resulted. Three others have flowered so far, and been sold for £2OO each. Possibly 500 others may prove valuable also. One of this orchid’js parents was sold for £SOO.

“An orchid may live an untold'number of years if properly looked after.”

That is the sort of story this show hides.

I found among the new varieties of flowers plants which had their origin in Japan, China, North America, Greece, Portugal, California, the Pyrenees, and Abyssinia.

Men search for them in the far corners of the earth, meeting incredible adventures, and in due time they appear in a sgiall tent at this show bearing their modest, obscure, Latin titles.

There was a calceolaria found 40Q0 feet up in Chile, a peony of rare yeb low, a Chinese type of rhododendron of very large flower, and strangely sweet scent, and a Japanese flowering cherry.

But perhaps the most exhibit of all' Was brought from California by Mrs A. Sherman Hoyt, a member of the American Garden Club, who has given, 1000 dollars to the Royal Horticultural'.Society’s funds. Three refrigerator cars and six aeroplanes were used to carry the material to Boston,” Mrs Hoyt, told me. “I couldn’t bring the blossoms here,” she added, ‘ ‘ because we haven’t enough Lindberghs to fetch them.” • The exhibit is staged to represent the Death Valley of East Central California, where a large number perished ir. a gold rush in 1.849. Rocks, sand, salt marsh, stuffed coyotes, owls, humming birds, woodpeckers, rattlesnakes, “poison water,” smoke trees, and cacti never seen here before —these are arranged before a back scene .painted by Mr Perry *McNealey, a. State artist.

The scene includes the “Funeral Mountains.” Mrs Hoyt told me: “Twenty men were busy for, seven months collecting the stuff. “A curious thing has happened. I knew General Farmer’s little boy was ill, and I sent him a stuffed desert quail. I forgot to tell the show authorities, and so smart are they that it has .been reported to the police as lost. Isn’t that wonderful?

“I think England is simply marvellous. I have offered to Dr. Hill, director of Kew Gardens, as much as he jearc-s to have of my exhibit, and I expect it will go there. The birds, I think, will go to the Natural History Museum.”

Princess Mary and the Royal party were diown “Death Valley” ,by Mrs Hoyt, who said 1 she \vas surprised at the knowledge /of cactus plants the Princess displayed. The unavoidable absence of the King and Queen, who have usually distin guished the show with their presence, was remarked on with deep regret. Probably not for a century have both reigning monarehs been absent. The late Lord Lambourne. was also greatly missed.

Princess Mary was especially interested by the beauty of the violas and auriculas, and by an exhibit of strawberries in baskets bearing the names of the King, the Duke and Duchess of York, and Marshal Foch. Mr Gerald Loder, the president, referred amusingly to the show as a home of tranquility compared with places where brickbats “and perhaps broccoli” are being thrown. “The love of horticulture and gardening is becoming year by year more deeply rooted in the British nation, he said. “Once we were a nation of shopkeepers; now we are a nation of gardeners.” Those desiring to exhibit were more numerous than ever before, and a most pleasant feaure was the exhibits from abroad. He greatly welcomed Miss Hoyt’s unique exhibit. She thought nothing of motoring 200 miles to “Death Valley” for material, and returning the same night. -

Another exhibitor from America was Mr Burrage, who had devised an ingenious greenhouse-which revolved with the sun.

The society most warmly endorsed the movement to preserve wild flowers, and hoped progress would be made “before, in many cases, it is too late.”